Target Corp. said Monday that last-minute shoppers have a few more days to buy their gifts. Orders placed online by Thursday, Dec. 20 are guaranteed to be delivered free by Monday, Dec. 24, Christmas Eve. Orders placed on Christmas Eve by 6 p.m. using the pickup and Drive Up services can be picked up that night before stores close. Most stores will be open from 7 a.m. to midnight from now until Dec. 23. And groceries, gifts and other purchases made with through same-day delivery with Shipt can be delivered in as little as an hour on Christmas Eve. Gift cards are also an option until Christmas Day. At Walmart Inc. , shoppers can order eligible items online until Dec. 23 at 4 p.m. and pick them up until 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve. For select items and locations, customers can order online until Dec. 22 and get the item before Christmas. For additional merchandise, the cutoff is Dec. 20 to receive the delivery by Christmas Eve. Target shares have slipped 0.6% in Monday premarket trading, but have gained 3% in 2018. The S&P 500 index has fallen 2.8% for the year so far.

Data from Orbital Insight indicates that traffic to J.C. Penney Co. Inc. stores between Black Friday and and Sunday, Dec. 9 is up 10% from last year. Orbital Insight uses artificial intelligence to analyze satellite imagery, like the number of cars in a retailer's parking lot. Year-over-year traffic is up 7% at Target Corp. , 6% at Kohl's Corp. , and 5% at Walmart Inc. . "Target has been performing well and continues to grow," according to Orbital Insight. But for J.C. Penney, "it's been a tough year for the store." J.C. Penney shares are down 2.5% in Monday premarket trading, and have sunk 62% in 2018. The SPDR S&P Retail ETF has slipped 7% for the year to date and the S&P 500 index is down 2.8%.

A U.S. bankruptcy court judge on Friday approved Sears Holding Corp's[S: SHLDQ] request to pay up to $25.3 million in bonuses to top executives and other high-ranking employees, the Chicago Tribune reported, even as the retailer reported losing nearly $1.9 billion in the first three quarters this year. Sears, which filed for bankruptcy protection in October, said it needs to able to offer the compensation to encourage key employees to stick with the restructuring company, the paper said, citing court documents. The company's proposal offers bonuses totaling up to $8.4 million to 19 executives if the company achieves certain financial targets over the next six months. The retailer also got permission to set aside up to $16.9 million in retention bonuses for a separate group of 315 senior employees. Since filing for bankruptcy, the company already raised base salaries for certain executives, including three tapped to form the Office of the Chief Executive after former CEO Eddie Lampert stepped down. Lampert remains the company's chairman, and his hedge fund, ESL Investments, has offered to buy many of the retailer's remaining assets for $4.6 billion.

Shares of Walmart Inc. and Express Scripts Holding Co. rose in premarket trade Wednesday, after the two announced a three-year agreement to provide cheaper medications to underinsured and uninsured Americans. Walmart will have access to Express Scripts' lower pricing on dozens of brand-name prescription drugs. The pharmacy benefits manager will offer its InsideRx, which provides discounts of an average of 40% to uninsured customers on brand-name prescription drugs. Express Scripts shares rose 1.2% premarket and have gained 29% in 2018, while the S&P 500 has fallen 1.4%.

J Sainsbury PLC (SBRY.LN) said Wednesday that it and Asda Group Ltd. will lodge an application with the Competition Appeal Tribunal for a review of an investigation into their merger by the U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority.

Organic and natural products maker Hain Celestial Group Inc. has settled charges brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over its revenue recognition practices, which had led to several quarters of delayed financial reports.

Kroger Co.'s profit margin is getting pinched as the grocer ramps up investments to compete in the cutthroat U.S. grocery market. The Cincinnati-based company, in an effort to expand beyond its traditional business of selling groceries in stores to compete with Amazon.com Inc. and others, has struck six deals this year to boost sales online and elsewhere, such as in Kroger-branded locations in select Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.

Food makers are devising more expensive sizes and flavors of their treats and breakfast foods, a subtle strategy to cover rising costs as tough competition holds down prices elsewhere in the supermarket.

It’s a promising Christmas season for retail, with low unemployment and strong consumer confidence, and the vanishing of some famous brands has given relief to those still standing. Five of those retail chains may win big.

Costco Wholesale sales surged in its latest quarter, as the warehouse chain continued to benefit from a strong economy and shopper interest in everything from bulk toilet paper to discounted branded clothes.

An expanded partnership between PayPal and Facebook would dramatically boost the fortunes of both companies, according to MoffettNathanson. The firm says the internet companies could announce an agreement in the coming months.

Loneliness undermines health and is linked to early mortality. Baby boomers, who generally had fewer children and divorced more than previous generations, are especially feeling the effects in retirement.

From tents on vacant suburban lots to a parking garage converted for package handling underneath Chicago’s Millennium Park, companies are getting creative in the race to get goods to consumers this holiday season.

American regulators resurrected a long-simmering fight over their inability to inspect audits of Chinese companies that are traded on U.S. stock exchanges, saying the situation prevents investors from getting information they need.

Recent News

Food makers are devising more expensive sizes and flavors of their treats and breakfast foods, a subtle strategy to cover rising costs as tough competition holds down prices elsewhere in the supermarket.

Shares of Apple (AAPL) have tumbled 24% in the last three months as part of the larger market pullback. But investors do have legitimate concerns about Apple going forward as iPhone unit sales slow. Still, the question is should investors take Apple's downturn as a chance to buy AAPL stock at a discount?

Welcome to the latest episode of the Full-Court Finance podcast from Zacks Investment Research where Associate Stock Strategist Ben Rains breaks down what Farfetch's (FTCH) acquisition of sneaker startup Stadium Goods means for sports retail. The episode also dives into how giants like Nike (NKE) have adapted with the times to become even more powerful.

Walmart Inc.

Walmart, Inc. engages in retail and wholesale business. It operates through the following business segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam's Club. The Walmart U.S. segment perates as a merchandiser of consumer products, operating under the Walmart, Wal-Mart, and Walmart Neighborhood Market brands, as well as walmart.com and other eCommerce brands. The Walmart International segment manags supercenters, supermarkets, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, and cash & carryl. The Sam's Club segment comprises membership-only warehouse clubs and samsclubs.com. The company was founded by Samuel Moore Walton and James Lawrence Walton on July 2, 1962 and is headquartered in Bentonville, AR.
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